A New Relation
by Usagibuffy
Summary: A newly orphaned girl arrives at Hogwarts, sent to live with an uncle she has never met. Why has she been sent there, and how will he cope with this new responsibility? *Chp 3 up*
1. To a New World

**A New Relation**

**Chapter 1:  To a ****New World******

**May 4, 2003******

**Summary:** A newly orphaned girl arrives at Hogwarts, sent to live with an uncle she has never met.  Why has she been sent there, and how will he cope with this new responsibility?

**Rating:** G. Nothing bad here, and I don't foresee the rating going up in the future.

**Author's Note:** Lookie, I wrote a new story!  I'm taking a chance here, as it isn't completed yet and I'm starting the posting anyway. This chapter is rather long (for me, anyways), and I doubt future chapters will be as long.  By the way, before anyone takes the title the wrong way, a relation can refer to someone related by blood or marriage.

     I'm sure you all will figure out who this fic is centered around pretty quickly here.  This story takes place during Harry and company's final year.  Voldemort was defeated at some point previously and thus plays no part in this story.

**Disclaimer:**  Of course it doesn't belong to me! Silly people for thinking so. ^_^ Abby is mine though, as are her parents, and Auntie Kara.  I think that's it.  This is my way of dealing with the shortening wait until the fifth book.  48 days to go!

     "Abigail?  Abby, darling, you must eat something."  Nine-year-old Abby didn't even bother to lift her face from the where it was buried in her arms; she just shook her head slightly.  The mattress sank slightly as someone sat on the bed next to her and began rubbing her back gently.

     "Go away," Abby mumbled tiredly.  The funeral had been just that morning, and Abby felt like she had spent her entire life crying.  She rolled over onto her back and looked up at he woman sitting on her bed.  Red-rimmed eyes met red-rimmed eyes and the woman smiled.

     "I have some good news, darling," she began, but was quickly interrupted by the child.

     "Auntie Kara, I don't think there's anything you can say that'll make things better," the girl said bluntly.

     "I've managed to track down your uncle," Kara said simply.  Abby was confused.

     "Uncle Troy?" she asked, sitting up.  "But we already know where he is.  And Uncle Matthew lives right across town."  Kara shook her head.

     "Your mother told me that if anything happened to her and she wasn't able to take care of you any longer, you were to go live with her brother.  I've been trying to track him down since they- since last week," Kara explained.  Abby frowned, trying to remember what she'd heard about her mother's brother.  All she could come up with was that her mother had a brother.

     "Where does he live?" Abby asked.

     "Britain.  He's a teacher there."  Abby's jaw dropped open.

     "I have to go live in another country?" she squeaked.  Kara nodded a bit sadly.

     "You'll be living with him at the school.  The youngest kids there are eleven, but I'm sure you'll be able to quickly make some new friends.  And though you won't actually be attending the school, I bet the professors would be willing to let you attend some of the classes.  You'll like it there.  You know," she added, "that's the school your mother and father and I went to when we were kids."  Abby finally started to look interested.

     "What's it called?"

     "Hogwarts."  Abby giggled, not knowing that Kara had only told her part of the school's name.

     "What a funny name," the girl said.  "What does my uncle teach?"  Abby was curious now; she'd never met any of her mother's family, and they were seldom mentioned.

     "I guess you could say he teaches something like chemistry," Kara said, looking thoughtful as she considered her best friend's brother.  "Or maybe cooking.  Or something like that."

     "Home ec?" Abby suggested.  Kara smirked at the idea of Sera's brother teaching kids how to cook and sew.

     "Not really, you'll see when you get there.  I already booked a ticket for you on British Airways; you should be there just in time to catch the train with all the students on September 1st."  The smile immediately fell from the girl's face.

     "I don't wanna go," she pouted stubbornly, crossing her arms over her chest.  "Why can't I stay here with you?  Or Uncle Matthew?  Or Aunt Crystal?  I don't wanna move away.  I don't even know this guy."  Kara sighed.  She'd known this was coming.

     "Baby, we'd love to have you stay here with any one of us, but your parents' wishes must obeyed."  _Besides, Kara added silently, __it's the only way to keep you safe.  He wouldn't dare try to hurt you at Hogwarts.  _

     The next three days were a whirlwind of packing and travel arrangements.  Kara helped Abby pack only what she'd need for the next few weeks, as the rest of her things would be sent later on.  Luckily the girl had a passport, purchased the summer before for a failed attempt to visit England.  Finally it was Thursday, the last day of August, and they were at the airport.

     "Ok, your flight leaves at 3:00, you'll land at ten in the morning, London time of course, at Heathrow Airport.  When you get there, the airline should have someone to escort you through customs.  Your uncle can't be there to meet you, but a friend of mine and your parents from school will meet you.  His name is Charlie Weasley, you should be able to spot him pretty easily, as he has bright red hair, and he's rather tall.  He'll take you to the train station at eleven, and if I remember correctly, you should get to the school around seven in the evening.  I suspect you'll meet Hagrid at the train station, he's hard to miss."

     "Now boarding flight 168, nonstop to London," someone said over the loudspeaker.  Kara and Abby looked at each other for a second then grasped each other in a tight hug.

     "You be good for your uncle, and I'll try to come visit you as soon as I can.  Owl me."

     It wasn't until Abby had been escorted to her seat by a nice flight attendant that she realized what a strange comment her quasi-aunt had left her with.  "Owl?" Abby wondered aloud, eliciting an odd glance from the lady sitting next to her.  The girl blushed and settled in for the long ride.

     The flight was long but uneventful.  Abby was delighted to discover she'd been given a window seat and spent most of the first few hours staring out it, listening to her CD player and watching the land pass by.  The flight attendants were very nice and kept the little girl supplied with snacks and sodas throughout the flight.  One of them told Abby the flight would last about eleven hours, and though they turned the cabin lights off somewhere around ten, Abby was too nervous and excited to sleep.  She'd never even been out of California before, and now here she was, flying by herself to another country to live with an uncle she'd never met and rarely heard about.  It was frightening to think about.

     The plane landed in London at ten o'clock Friday morning and Abby was passed from person to person as she was escorted off the plane, taken to retrieve her luggage, and swept through customs.  As she trotted along behind the final person, a young man with dark brown hair, Abby's head swiveled as she tried to take in everything around her.  The airport was fascinating, with its many small shops and people bustling every which way.  Finally the young man stopped at a little windowed room.

     "Someone is already here to meet you," he informed her.  "Security should be bringing him here any minute."  Abby was shown to a hard plastic chair and she sat, twisting her hands nervously.  As discreetly as possible, she slipped her hand into the backpack now resting in her lap and stroked the worn fur on her favorite teddy bear.  The brown bear had been given to her as an infant and was now a tattered mess.

     The door swung open and a cheerful looking young man with bright red hair entered.  Abby eyed him warily.  He was nice enough looking, muscular and tanned – well, freckled, really – dressed in khaki slacks and a blue shirt, but there was something off about him that she just couldn't place. It might have had something to do with the bandage visible on his arm underneath the rolled up sleeves.

     "Hullo there!" he greeted, sounding just as cheerful as he looked.  "You must be Abigail.  I'm Charlie Weasley, your uncle sent me to pick you up."

     "All your papers appear to be in order, sir," the security guard interrupted.  "She's all yours." 

     "Shall we go then?" the red-haired man asked, looking directly at Abby.  "You have a train to catch."  He grabbed the girl's suitcase and waited for her to join him at the door, which she did, very slowly.  The two walked out of the airport into an overcast day.

     "You don't talk much, do you?" Charlie asked with a grin.  Abby just stared at him.  "It's okay," he continued, leading her across the parking lot.  "I've got a little sister who's rather shy too.  She's quite a bit older than you though.  Well, the train leaves at eleven, and it's twenty till…"

     "We're gonna be late, aren't we?" Abby finally said, wide-eyed.  Charlie laughed.

     "Of course not.  Mind you, the train station is a good hour from here by car, but we've got magic on our side."  Abby looked at him blankly, unsure of what he meant.  By now they had reached the edge of the parking lot.  Charlie ducked under some bushes and motioned for Abby to follow him.  She did and found herself in a little hollow between the bushes and a wall.

     "Um…" she started, but Charlie didn't notice.  He was staring at his watch.

     "Here, grab hold," he instructed, holding out a discarded bottle he'd picked up off the ground.  After a moment, Abby reached out and gingerly closed her fingers around the bottle.  "Hold on!" he exclaimed just as something quite unexpected happened.  To Abby, it felt as though something had grabbed hold of her stomach and jerked her forward.  There was a howling whirlwind of swirling color and her feet left the ground.  She could feel herself being driven forward; to where, she wasn't sure.  And suddenly her feet hit the ground again and she fell.

     Charlie helped her to her feet with a slight laugh.  "Never used a portkey before?" he asked.  Abby shook her head.  "Definitely takes some getting used to."  He gestured at something behind her shoulder.  "Well, there's your train.  The Hogwarts Express."  The girl turned, not entirely certain what to expect.

     The scarlet steam engine sitting on the tracks was definitely not something she expected to see.  Neither were all the people dressed in odd clothing.  Most were wearing long robes in various colors, though a number of them were wearing normal clothing.  There were cats and owls all over the place, and many kids, most of them older than Abby, toting large steamer trunks.  Charlie led her onto the train and got her settled in an empty compartment.

     "It was a pleasure meeting you, Miss Abigail," he told her with a grin.  "Someone will tell you where to go when you reach Hogsmeade. Enjoy the ride.  Oh, I almost forgot.  Here," he said, handing her a fistful of change.  "From your uncle.  He wanted to make sure you got something to eat when the trolley comes around.  The woman who mans the trolley is quite nice; she'll help you figure out the money."  With a last wave, the red-haired man left.  

     Abby looked down at the shiny coins he had handed her.  There were little bronze ones, slightly larger silver ones, and even bigger gold ones.  None of them were quite round.  "England sure does have strange money," she said aloud.

     The train trip was long and Abby nearly fell asleep several times.  She was always interrupted though.  The first time was by the woman with the trolley.  Abby ended up with a handful of strange candies and sweets, including Chocolate Frogs, Licorice Wands, and Cauldron Cakes.  She thought these were very odd, but again decided it must be what they had in Britain.  A couple of times people stuck their heads in the door, but they always left promptly.

     It was dark when the train pulled into the small station.  A voice echoed through the train, instructing everyone to leave their things on the train so someone else could take everything to the school.  Abby timidly stepped out of her compartment and was immediately swept along with the crowd of students exiting the train.  She was feeling more and more nervous as she was pushed and bumped by the sea of bigger kids, all dressed in long black robes.  Panic was just beginning to overtake her when she ran into someone and a big voice thundered down, "Oy there!"

     The huge man she had bumped into stared down at her, a smile barely visible through his shaggy black beard.  His black eyes glinted through the mess of tangled hair.  He was nearly three times as tall as Abby, easily the biggest person she'd ever seen.

     "Yeh mus' be Abigail," the giant man greeted.  Abby nodded mutely, still staring up at the man.  "You're to meet your uncle in the main hall," he continued.  "I 'ave to escort the firs' years, but I 'ave jus' the person t'make sure yeh get there.  Harry!" he called, looking down the platform.  Abby followed his gaze to see a tall black-haired boy turn and wave at the huge man.

     "Hagrid!" the boy called happily.  "How have you been, how was your summer?"  He approached quickly, followed by two other students, a boy and a girl.  They were all dressed in the same long black robes.

     "Jus' fine, jus' fine, Harry," the giant returned.  He nodded at the other two.  "Ron, Hermione."  They grinned back.  "Harry, this young'un 'ere is to be meetin' someone in the main hall.  D'you suppose yeh could see tha' she gets there?"

     "Sure thing," Harry said, smiling at Abby.  "Let's go, shall we?"  Abby nodded and followed him down the platform, turning one last time to stare at the giant man, who was now hollering for all the first years to gather round.  She was a bit confused, as the kids who were gathering were older than she, meaning they couldn't possibly be first graders.  What was this year thing he was talking about?

     She didn't have time to wonder about it much though, as they were approaching a row of carriages.  As Abby watched, a few students climbed into one and it began rolling down the pathway, seemingly under its own power.  At Harry's beckoning, the three teenagers and Abby climbed into an empty carriage, which also began rolling down the dark path, once the door was closed.  Abby settled into her seat and regarded the other passengers warily.  They were dressed in identical black robes, each with a yellow lion and red crest on the front.  The girl with shiny brown hair had a silver badge with a "P" on it pinned to the front of her robe as well.  The older girl noticed Abby looking at her badge.

     "I'm a prefect for Gryffindor," she said, as though that should make sense to Abby.  "My name is Hermione," she continued, "and these are Ron," the red-haired boy, "and Harry," the black-haired boy.  "We're all seventh years in Gryffindor."

     "I'm Abby," Abby said, the yawned.  Hermione smiled.

     "I bet you've had a long day," she said kindly.  "Have you ever been on a train before?"  Abby shook her head.

     "Never been on an airplane before either," she said tiredly.

     "A what?" Ron asked, looking confused.

     "I'll explain it to you later," Harry muttered, looking amused.  Ron shot him a scathing glare.

     "I know what an airplane is, prat," Ron said.  "I just wanted to know how she knows what one is and what she was doing on one.  I mean, most wizard kids her age wouldn't know a thing about airplanes, or most Muggle stuff.  Wait a minute," he exclaimed, suddenly turning back to Abby, "you are a witch, aren't you?"  It was Abby's turn to look confused.

     "A witch?  Me?  What?"

     "Good heavens, you're not a Muggle, are you?" Ron exclaimed.  The carriage erupted into chatter as the three teens debated about Muggles, witches, and kids.  Abby couldn't follow most of the conversation and so turned to stare out the window.  A castle loomed above them in the darkness, and she wondered if that was where they were going.

     "Hey, Abby," Harry's voice broke through her thoughts, "who are you here to meet?"

     "My uncle," she responded, turning to look at the raven-haired boy.

     "Who is your uncle?" he asked curiously.

     "My mother's brother."  Hermione giggled and Ron snorted.

     "And who would that be?" Harry tried again.  Abby blinked tiredly.  She was pretty sure she was completely missing the point of his questioning, but she was too tired to figure it out.

     "My uncle," she answered, blinking again.  This time the older kids all laughed.  Abby just stared at them, unsure of what was so funny.  When the teenagers had calmed down, Harry began another line of questioning.

     "How old are you?" he asked.

     "Nine," came the tired response.

     "Where are you from?" Hermione asked.

     "California," Abby answered, wondering when they'd get to where they were going.  She was getting tired of the questions, not to mention that she was hungry and sleepy.

     "In the States?" Ron asked incredulously.  Abby just nodded.  Just then the carriage stopped and the swung open on its own.  All four of them piled out, and the three older ones herded Abby up the steps and into the castle she'd seen earlier.  Abby just stared upwards, mouth open at the impressive sight before her.

     Inside the main hall were a fireplace, burning cheerily, and a staircase.  Above their heads were more staircases leading up and up.  As she watched, one of them swung out, moving to a different position.  The pictures on the walls moved, and many of them people in them called out greetings to the trio escorting Abby.

     "Well, Abby," Harry said, looking down at the wide-eyed youngster, "I'm sure your uncle will be here soon.  We must take our seats."

     "Nice meeting you, Abby," Hermione said.  Ron waved and the three of them went through another set of double doors, leaving Abby alone in the main hall.

     Abby shifted uncomfortably as students flooded through the double doors Harry and the others had disappeared through.  As the doors swung closed, she caught a glimpse of a huge room behind.  The man mountain had told her to wait here though, so here she waited.  It wasn't long before the last students passed through the doors and Abby was completely alone in the front hall.  She crossed her arms and shivered, wishing she'd thought to grab her sweatshirt when she left the train.  Something moved to her left and she turned, startled.


	2. Bad News for Snape

**Chapter 2: Bad News for Snape**

May 11, 2003

**Summary:**  Professor Snape receives a letter and preparations are made.

**Rating:** Still G!

**Author's Notes: **I greatly admirethose authors who are writing a new chapter every day. Let me state now, I am not one of them. I'll try my hardest to put up a new chapter at least once a week. Scout's honor!  And yes, it's much shorter chapter. The next one should be longer.

**Disclaimer:**  Still not mine. *sigh* But hey, look on the bright side, only 41 days left!

     Professor Severus Snape was idly walking the ground of Hogwarts, enjoying the peace and quiet that would be shattered in less than a week when the students arrived.  A loud screech caught his attention and he looked up to see a large owl swooping towards him.  The first thing the potions master noticed was that it was not a type of owl that could be found in England.  The second thing he noticed was the letter it was carrying.  The owl dropped the letter and soared back into the sky, making a beeline for the owlery.

     Snape watched it go, then looked at the letter.  He turned it over in his hands, examining it.  The handwriting was unfamiliar, as was the wax seal stamped on the back.  He was immediately suspicious.  After carefully opening the envelope, he unfolded the letter.  The signature at the bottom of the second page was that of a Kara Aikens, whom Snape recalled as having been his sister Sera's best friend at Hogwarts.  If he remembered correctly, Kara had moved to the States soon after his sister and brother-in-law.  With a growing dread, Snape began to read the letter.

     "Dear Severus," it began, "I realize it has been over a decade since we last spoke, but something has happened…"

     "Albus!" came an anguished roar from the bottom of the staircase leading up to the headmaster's office.  Albus Dumbledore looked up from the stack of parent letters he was answering.  It was amazing just how many parents waited until the last minute to send him questions and concerns they had.  Heavy footsteps stormed up the stairs until at last the door was thrown open, revealing the school's potions master, looking more upset than Dumbledore had ever seen him.

     "Severus, what –"  He was interrupted as the man thrust a letter under his nose.

     "Read this," he commanded.  Dumbledore took the letter from the noticeably trembling hand and proceeded to read as Snape paced in front of the desk.  Finally he put the letter down, removed his glasses, and rubbed the bridge of his nose.

     "Severus, I am so sorry," the headmaster said after a minute.  The younger man did not stop his pacing.

     "I've had very little contact with her in the past fifteen years," Snape began agitatedly, "ever since she discovered I carried the dark mark.  I tried to explain about the spying, but you remember Sera, very strong-willed.  She believes what she wants."  As he spoke, Snape unconsciously rubbed at his arm where he had carried the mark until Voldemort's demise.  "She sent me a short note when she and William were married, almost ten years ago, but other than that…"

     Dumbledore had never seen the man look so helpless.  They were both silent for a minute, lost in their own thoughts.

     "What about…?" Snape asked suddenly, gesturing at the letter.

     "We will begin making preparations," Dumbledore answered grimly.  "Go contact Kara and make the arrangements.  I will gather the rest of the staff for a meeting.  We haven't much time before the students begin to arrive."

     As he'd expected, the rest of Hogwarts' professors were less than pleased by the meeting. Several of them were saddened to learn of the deaths, as they remembered William and Sera from when they had been students.  Others were concerned over the changes that would be needed to fulfill Sera's request.  Only after Dumbledore assured them that little would change, for them anyways, did they calm down.

     "This meeting was mostly just to fill all of you in on the situation," Dumbledore concluded.  The other professors nodded and rose to leave the room.

     "Severus," Madam Pomfrey said as she exited, "if you need any help, let me know."  Snape just scowled at the kind offer.  Soon the room was empty except for Dumbledore and Snape.

     "Is everything ready?" the potions master asked, still sounding quite disgruntled.  The headmaster nodded.

     "I've taken the liberty of adding a few extra wards that aren't usually necessary with children of school age.  You've had an extra room added to your chambers.  Everyone in the school has been notified.  I believe we are ready."  Snape actually doubted that very much, but it didn't seem possible to be any more prepared, at least physically.  Mentally, he wasn't so sure.  _Damn it, Sera,_ he thought to himself, _how could you leave me like this?_

    The next day was September the first, and everyone eagerly awaited the arrival of the students for the new term.  Everyone expect Snape, that is, who spent the day wandering around the castle aimlessly, scowling at anyone who crossed his path.  It was early evening before the train whistle could be heard echoing in from Hogsmeade as the Hogwarts Express pulled into the station, loaded with students.

     It would take them all a while to make it up to the castle, so Snape took his time in making it to the Entrance Hall.  He knew his absence from the professor's table would be a cause for conversation amongst the students, and smiled wickedly at the thought of disappointing the lot of them when he showed up anyway.  By the time the man made it to the Entrance Hall, most of the students had passed into the Great Hall.  He kept to the shadows and watched the small girl who was left standing there, staring wide-eyed at everything.

To my lovely reviewers:

Huldufolknr1: _That_ was an evil cliffhanger? Wow, doesn't take much for you, does it? ^_^ Maybe I'll have to put some good ones in later.

Merlinhalliwell: Thanks for the review!

Wolf: Thanks for the compliment!

Ellie: Yes, I agree that the general storyline is overdone, but mine has some differences. For one thing, Abby is only 9, too young to be a student. And the whole reason she's there is not to learn magic, but to live with her uncle. And the reason she's from California is that I'm from California and it's easier for me to write an American kid than an English one.

Narcissa: We'll be seeing how he manages. Snape doesn't strike me as having been around little kids much, so it should be interesting.

Psychadellic Flower: Thanks for reviewing!

Elrenia: I'm glad you like it so far. No, she's not a Muggle or a squib, she just hasn't been raised around magic at all. That being said though, she isn't yet of age to learn magic, so she really won't be doing any. That would be an interesting story line though…

Emma: Is there anything I could have done to make it better?

My email address is in my profile, if anyone ever has any suggestions or questions. I am doing things differently with this story, in that it is not completely written. Usually I write the story completely, and then start posting it. But this new thing means I can possibly incorporate other people's ideas, so feel free to leave them in you reviews!


	3. Meeting with a Stranger

**Chapter 3: Meeting with a Stranger**

**May 15, 2003******

**Summary**: Abby and Snape finally meet.

**Rating: **Still G!

**Author's Notes:**  Look, another chapter! It may be a while before the next one is up, as I haven't entirely written it yet, but the same still applies: I'll try my hardest to have it up in a week or less.

**Disclaimer:** Please don't sue. We've all heard about the troubles musicians and students have with money; well, I'm both. They aren't mine!

    A tall man stepped out of the shadows, robes billowing about him.  Abby stared up at him, eyes wide.  This man was huge and a little scary looking, dressed all in black with long black hair, black eyes, and pale skin.  The two of them stood there for a minute, silently regarding each other.

     Snape wasn't sure what he had expected, but this was not it.  At first glance, the short, scrawny child standing before him didn't look any more like a Snape than the Weasley boy did.  The little girl definitely had her father's coloring, as evidenced by the tanned skin and waist length blond hair, most of which was still contained in two messy braids.  As they stared at each, Snape found the conformation he'd been looking for.  The child's eyes were exactly like his own mother's, a brilliant blue-green with flecks of orange surrounding the pupil.

     "I am Professor Severus Snape," Snape finally said, a bit more harshly than he'd intended.  The girl shrank back slightly, apparently feeling somewhat overwhelmed.

     "I'm Abigail Snape-Monroe," the child shyly said.  Snape raised an eyebrow in surprise.  He hadn't realized his sister had given the child both surnames.

     "Come.  It is time for the start of term feast."  Snape turned to head back into the Great Hall.  A small hand slipped into his and he instinctively grasped it, surprised.  A quick glance downward revealed his small niece looking up at him, managing to look both curious and scared to death at the same time.

     The first years hadn't arrived yet, so many of the students in the Great Hall were up out of their seats, getting reacquainted with classmates and catching up on summer happenings.  The noise in the hall dimmed quite a bit at the sight of Snape hand-in-hand with a small girl, who was practically skipping to keep up with him as they moved down the center aisle towards the teachers' table.  No one dared approach the potions master though, as the expression on his face was one of obvious displeasure.

     Snape was somewhat pleased to note that an extra chair had been placed at the head table, right next to his.  The headmaster had thought of everything in his preparations for the arrival of the orphaned child.  A small tug at his sleeve broke Snape from his thoughts.  Abby was looking up at him.

     "Um, sir, I…I…I'm supposed to…to give you this."  She held out a white envelope, folded in half and crumpled.  He took it gingerly.

     "What is it?"

     "Um, I think it's a letter from Aunt Kara, Mum's best friend."  A dark shadow passed over the child's face as she said this and she settled back into her chair, staring at the people in the hall. A great number of them kept looking back at her, and she found all the stares quite unsettling.  After tucking the letter into his robes, her uncle had turned and was talking to another professor, a very old looking one with long white hair and a long white beard.  Abby poked at him again.  He turned to look at her, exasperation and anger evident on his face.

     "Yes?" he said icily.  Abby's curiosity was quickly overcoming her shyness.

     "Why are they all dressed like that?" she asked, gesturing at the students who were finally taking their seats.

     "It's the school uniform," Snape explained, sounding rather annoyed.

     "But –"

     "We will talk later," the man said irritably.  "Now hush, the sorting is about to begin."  As he spoke, the doors at the end of the hall swung open and a stern looking woman swept down the center aisle, followed by nearly 90 students not much older than Abby.  They all looked nervous, to one degree or another, and many of them were staring at the ceiling, the professors, and the other students.  Abby glanced at the ceiling as well and was shocked to see the night sky above.  Rafters could be dimly made out amongst the twinkling stars and scattered clouds, so Abby figured the ceiling must be painted or something, like on Pirates of the Caribbean at Disneyland.  She didn't have any more time to think about it though, as the stern lady stopped and turned to face the students following her.

     "As I call your name, you will come up here, sit on the stool, and put on the hat."  Abby craned her neck to get a glimpse of the hat.  It was an old, battered, black, pointed hat, with many rips and dirt stains on it.  The girl wondered what was so special about this hat when suddenly one of the rips opened and the hat began to sing.  Abby was so startled she nearly toppled off her chair, but her uncle reached out to steady her.  

     Finally the hat was done singing and the first student was called.  "Anderson, Matthew!"  A dark haired boy broke from the mass of students to make his way up to the stool.  He slowly clambered atop it and the stern lady placed the hat on his head.   Abby wondered what was happening until the hat shouted, "Ravenclaw!"  One long table of students began cheering, and the boy made his way over to them, grinning.

     "Appian, Marie," became a Slytherin next, followed by "Azure, Thomas" becoming a Gryffindor. It became obvious fairly quickly that each table was one of the four names the hat shouted, but Abby was still confused.  She turned to ask her uncle about it, but the glare she received as he turned to look at her effectively silenced the girl.

     This continued until every student had been sorted and was seated at their respective tables.  The old man with white hair stood and began addressing the students.  He droned on for a short while, something about a forest and some halls that were off limits.  Abby quickly tuned him out, paying more attention to the surroundings.  Suddenly the man clapped, startling her again.  Even more startling was what happened when the man clapped.

     The tables had been set with empty plates and serving dishes.  At the old man's clap, the plates filled with all kinds of food, including roast beef and lamb chops, as well as a few dishes she didn't recognize.  Abby's eyes grew wide.  Without a word, her uncle took her plate and began filling it with food.

     "Um," Abby started to say as he ladled peas onto her plate.  She hated peas, but he shot her a look that stifled any complaint she might have.  Abby was coming to the conclusion that her uncle was not the nicest man.

     The feast passed without incident, though Snape noted with displeasure that a number of curious glances were directed towards his end of the professors' table.  Finally the students were finished and the headmaster sent them off to their dormitories, the first years nervously following their house prefects.  Snape had spent the last half hour in an intense debate with the new Defense Against the Dark Arts professor, and had largely forgotten the small girl seated next to him.

     "You had better get that young one off to bed," Dumbledore commented quietly as he passed, his eyes twinkling.  Snape turned towards the girl and was rather dismayed to find Abby curled up in the chair, sound asleep.  "I do believe it has been a long day for her," the headmaster added as he moved on.  Snape quickly realized he was right.  If you took into account the time change, the airplane flight, and the train ride, Abby had left home almost twenty-four hours prior and probably hadn't slept much in the meantime.

     Grumbling to himself, Snape carefully lifted the girl in his arms gingerly carried her out of the Great Hall and down to his own chambers, in the dungeons.

     "_Acroceraunia," he murmured to suit of armor that stood in a corner.  It stepped to the side and a doorway flicked into existence in the midst of the stone wall.  Snape stepped through and the doorway disappeared behind him.  The room he had entered was rather large, serving as both the kitchen and a sitting room.  A thick carpet covered the floor, dark purple in color, and a fireplace flicked cheerfully on the other side of the room.  Shelves lined the walls, mostly filled with books, though there were a few pictures and other knick knacks scattered around as well._

     Directly across from the entrance were two doors, one of which led into Snape's own bedroom, the other of which led to the bathroom.  The potions master ignored these doors though, instead carrying the sleeping girl through a brand new door to the right.  The new room Albus had created was sparsely furnished at the moment, containing only a standard four poster bed and a plain chest of drawers.  The girl's suitcase (_what an odd looking contraption, Snape thought_, what with the metal fastening running along the edge and wheels on the bottom_) had been placed at the foot of her bed, which was covered with a pale green quilt._

     Trying not to wake the girl, Snape struggled to pull down the covers using one hand.  He mostly succeeded and gently placed her on the sheets, still fully clothed.  After pulling off her shoes, Snape took out his wand and with a simple spell, changed her jeans and t-shirt into pajamas.  Abby stirred slightly, mumbled something, then curled into a ball on her side, but did not wake up.  He pulled the covers over her and left the room, carefully closing the door behind him.

     Snape walked across the room and half sat, half collapsed into his overstuffed easy chair.  With a sigh, he rubbed his temples, staring into the flickering flames.  He'd been sitting there for some time when he suddenly remembered the letter his young niece had given to him at dinner.  The envelope he pulled from his pocket was crumpled from its long journey in the child's pocket.  It was blank on the front and sealed with wax.  Inside was a fairly short letter from Kara Aikens.

     "I have instructed Abby to give this letter to you immediately," the letter read.  "There are many things you should know about Abby, and most of them are spelled out for you in a letter to you from Sera, which is hidden in Abby's suitcase.  It is spelled to be readable only by someone from the Snape bloodline."  Snape immediately dropped the letter he was reading and went to Abby's door.  

     Quietly pushing it open, he was relieved to find the girl sound asleep, still curled in a little ball on her side.  It took Snape a few minutes to open the suitcase, as he was unfamiliar with the strange device sealing it, and another few minutes to find the letter.  Obviously, Kara hadn't been too concerned about someone else getting hold of it, as the letter was simply buried beneath the clothing at the bottom of the suitcase.  He left the room clutching a thick envelope and carefully closed the bedroom door behind him.  Dropping back into his armchair, Snape settled in to read the letter.

     "Severus" was scrawled across the front of the envelope.  He stared at his name for a moment before slowly turning the envelope over.  After breaking the wax seal, he pulled a thick stack of parchment out and unfolded the papers.  They were blank, but as he thumbed through them, words began appearing, along with a date at the top of the first page.  Snape was surprised to see that this letter was dated almost three months previous.

     "My dear brother," it began in his sister's familiar looping handwriting.  "I know it's been a long time, but I had a premonition last night and I don't know if I'll be around much longer."  Snape's lips tightened.  His sister had often had what she called premonitions when they were younger.  To Snape they seemed more like flashes of the future, as she was almost always correct.

     "If you are reading this letter, it is likely that my premonition came true and my daughter is now in your possession.  Abigail is now your responsibility, as she will need the protection that comes from living with a blood relative.  This will be a very big change for her, as not only has she grown up in the States, but William and I decided it was best that she be raised away from the magic world.  Yes, Sev, Abby has been raised as a Muggle."

     Snape groaned.  A nine-year-old who knew about magic would have been hard enough to deal with, but a nine-year-old who was raised Muggle?  He could only hope Abby was as quiet of a child as she had been tonight.  Otherwise…well, he could only imagine the questions he would be in for.  He turned his attention back to the letter.

     "You may be wondering about the blood relative protection thing, and why Abby needs it.  Well, I'll explain that later.  First off though, you need to know a little of Abby's history.  I sent you a letter when William and I were married.  Abby is the reason we were married.  You see, Abigail is an essence child."

**To my reviewers:**

Psychadellic Flower, Kathi Skywalker, and Emma: Thanks for reviewing!

Dena Nehele Black Widow Queen: I know what you mean about the being too tired to review!  I actually appreciate the nitpicking, it's good for me.  I'm pretty good (I think) about my grammar and spelling, so hopefully you won't be finding too many mistakes.  I also avoid stories that follow the same storyline, and when I do write ones that do, they have a twist that makes them different, such as Abby being only 9. As you will see later, you are correct in assuming Abby will be causing some trouble later on. ^_^


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